In prisons and other institutional facilities, showers are provided for use by several individuals. In some facilities, these showers are divided into individual stalls or compartments with an opening on one side enclosed by a shower curtain for privacy.
These shower curtains are normally comprised of a water-impermeable sheet that is vertically suspended across a wall or doorway of the shower compartment by attaching the upper end of the sheet to a shower curtain support. For example, the support may be a telescoping metal rod with fasteners at opposed ends to secure the rod in a horizontal position at a desired height to spaced parts of the enclosure, such as the opposed sides of a doorway into the shower enclosure.
Unfortunately, two problems arise when such curtain supports are used for supporting shower curtains in facilities such as prisons, mental institutions, and the like. First, some of the inmates of such facilities are prone to suicide, and may attempt to hang themselves from the shower curtain rod or support, particularly since the shower area is one of the few areas where there is sufficient privacy to attempt suicide without being restrained. Second, since fights between inmates in these facilities often occur in shower areas, shower curtain rods may be used as weapons, causing injury to inmates.
In order to eliminate these concerns, while still achieving the privacy desired, there is a need for a shower curtain assembly that cannot be used as a support for suicide attempts, or as a weapon against others. A shower curtain assembly meeting these requirements, especially a shower curtain assembly of this type that could be economically manufactured and easily laundered or replaced would be especially useful.